The 7 Lighting Trends Setting the Tone for the Best-Designed Homes
Lighting is, in so many ways, the backbone of a beautiful home. As functional as it is decorative, this is the one feature that can truly make or break a room, dictating how your space feels as well as how it looks. And, this year, the designers are looking at these features with a keener eye than ever before.
Having already established how to plan your home’s lighting scheme, the trends this year focus less on technique and more on feeling. As we’re observing across interior design trends, there is a growing desire to move away from the highly edited artifice of the modern world, and people are increasingly looking to the past and to nature for inspiration, finding ways to make our homes feel more personal and human. Undoubtedly triggered by the inescapable surge in all things AI, these trends reject modernity and embrace the beauty of imperfection – whether that be obvious signs of aging, as seen in the neo-classical design trend, or the randomness of nature, as observed through both the materials and forms we’re adopting in our lighting designs nowadays.
With so much technology-led innovation occurring all around us, we’re taking comfort in things that seem to embrace tradition, paying respect to the natural beauty that surrounds us, and finding ways to bring this into our homes, filling our spaces with light, both figuratively and literally.
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1. Ancient Influences
A classically inspired base, paired with a modern lamp shade makes for a surprisingly striking design.
(Image credit: Helen Cathcart. Design: Nomad)
“The lighting trend I’m most drawn to this year is the return of neoclassical influences, interpreted in a softer and more contemporary way,” shares James Taylor from interior design studio NOMAD.
From The Odyssey to the trends on BookTok, it’s clear that there’s a growing appreciation for all things classical, and it’s spreading to our interiors, too. We’re seeing a rise in ancient-inspired lighting styles, with terracotta tones and rich, textural finishes, as well as a return to ancient color pairings.
These light fittings provide so much more than just light to a room. As James says, “Sculptural bases, elegant silhouettes, and references to antiquity give a room character, even when the light is off.”
By combining antique pieces with modern design trends, you can create a rich, layered finish: “It is this contrast between old and new that makes the trend feel current.”
Cox & Cox
Imogen Table Lamp
With an ancient urn-inspired base, and a chic, simple lampshade, this is the perfect blend of modern and classic.
James Taylor
Originally hailing from South Africa, James is known for the calm, considered approach he brings to his designs with London-based NOMAD Studios. Working on private, residential projects across the globe, the NOMAD style is characterized by its timeless charm and refined elegance.
2. Sculptural Settings
“If the space has generous ceiling heights, don’t be afraid to go slightly oversized. A larger-scale fixture adds drama and presence, helping to define the room without overwhelming it. I also like to let the lighting take centre stage by pairing it with a more restrained material palette, allowing the craftsmanship and form of the fixture to really shine,” says Murude.
(Image credit: Ben Anders. Design: Murudé)
Drawing on the idea of lighting serving a decorative function, as well as a practical one, one of the lighting trends we’ve been spotting everywhere is the rise of sculptural light fittings.
For designer Murude Katipoglu, this has been a long time coming. “I’ve always been drawn to sculptural lighting, so it’s been wonderful to see it become more of a defining trend in recent years,” she says.
No matter the material, an intriguing form will bring more personality to your space. “Whether crafted from plaster, alabaster, glass or metal, I love the way these materials interact with light, creating pieces that are as beautiful when switched off as they are illuminated,” says Murude.
These light fittings act more like a piece of art than a simple functional element, bringing depth and complexity that you’d miss with a simple overhead light, and when decorating a room with high ceilings, they are an excellent way to make the most of the space available.
This flexible LED light fitting brings a beautiful twisting movement into your home, and can be changed and adjusted to your liking, so you can switch up the look over time.
3. Oversized Fittings
The subtle transparency of a rice paper lantern brings a softer illumination into your space that makes the oversized lights feel less overwhelming.
(Image credit: Dave Kulesza. Design: Studio mkn. Architecture: Eliza Blair Architecture)
As designers continue to explore how to make a statement with their lighting, there has been one particularly delightful discovery: sometimes, bigger is better.
There’s a simple confidence that’s communicated through an oversized light fitting, a subtle play and subversion of form, providing more than what’s expected without it looking like ‘too much’. As designer Micaela Quinton, from Copper Sky Design + Remodel, says, “Small-scale fixtures can feel safe and lack presence, but large-scale lighting can make a big statement and set the tone in a room.”
Using a light fitting that’s slightly larger than what would typically be expected in the space is an easy way to bring some more intrigue into your space. “Lighting has the power to really anchor a space and give a sense of confidence,” says Micaela. And in choosing a larger, more unexpected fitting, you’re communicating a fearlessness in your design.
H&M
Large Rice Paper Pendant Light
This stacked design is a fun play on the classic paper lantern lights, and at 95 cm, it’s the oversized statement your entryway needs.
4. Human-Centric Lighting
Soft, low lighting in bedrooms is perfect for winding down in the evening.
(Image credit: Genevieve Lutkin. Design: Tabitha Isobel)
If there’s one word that’s come to define the past decade, it’s wellness. From wellness rooms to wellness routines, we’ve found a way to present pretty much anything through the lens of wellbeing, and it was only a matter of time until lighting got the same treatment.
But this isn’t purely a fad. As Nicola Fulstow, owner of SONA, a luxury lighting design and home technology studio, explains, “The science is compelling. Light directly regulates cortisol and melatonin production — the circadian rhythm.”
As research continues to grow, we’re becoming increasingly aware of how lighting affects our mood. It’s the theory that’s driving the ever-growing field of light therapy, but beyond this, it’s impacting the way we light our homes for everyday life, too.
Instead of thinking of our lighting as a one-size-fits-all solution, people are finding ways to adjust our home lighting to support our mood. One example of this is the use of tunable white lighting across our home.
Explaining this method, Andrew Edwins, design principal and partner at PKA Architecture, says, “Tunable white lighting allows for the feel of the space to change throughout the day. Daylight color during the day and while cooking allows for a more energetic space where colors are rendered most faithfully, whereas a soft warm glow sets the tone for a quiet evening.”
Designing your bedroom to support your circadian rhythm is one of the most popular ways to achieve this, which, for Nicola, looks like “A bedroom that wakes you gradually each morning, moving from complete darkness to soft, warm light over twenty minutes before your alarm sounds, so your body arrives at consciousness rather than being jolted into it. The scene is set to your exact sensory preferences.”
Achieving this could be as simple as something like this smart bulb from Amazon, which can be controlled via your smartphone, so you can adjust the intensity and color of your lighting throughout the day, in accordance with your circadian rhythm.
5. Art Deco Reinvention
Alabaster is another favorite material for Art Deco-style lighting, providing a beautiful, diffused illumination.
(Image credit: Jonathan Van Dyk. Stylists: Airlie Lang and Ben Ramsey)
As we firmly settle into the 2020s, we’ve been increasingly drawing on the styles of the century past, taking the anniversary of the Art Deco style as an opportunity to return to the trends of that era.
It’s something we’ve noticed across interior design trends, and is a movement Industville founder, Mara Rypacek Miller, is referring to as ‘newstalgia’, in which “Contemporary interiors are bringing the raw spirit of early twentieth-century design into the modern era.”
We’re seeing aged brass and antiqued bronze finishes rising as some of the most popular metallic finishes, being paired with warm, mocha-toned, and amber glass in elegant chandeliers and decorative wall lights for a sophisticated and tastefully vintage feel.
Soho Home
Simone Chandelier
An enchanting mix of bubbled glass and mirrored chrome panels make for an eye-catching chandelier design.
6. Natural Materials
“What I love most about it, is the balance it achieves. Large scale fixtures in woods strike the perfect harmony between opulent and organic. They feel commanding in scale, yet grounded in materiality,” says Helen.
(Image credit: Arteriors)
“My favorite lighting trend this season is the shift towards organic materials, such as coconut shells, corn husk, and abaca fibers,” shares Helen Pett from luxury design brand Arteriors.
A continuation of the popularization of biophilic design, these natural, organic materials have become one of the leading trends in lighting this year, bringing a laid-back, earthy look to your home.
As well as these more surprising sustainable materials, we’re also seeing plenty of wood being used for these designs, with Helen saying, “Whitewashed woods are also taking centre stage in large- scale lighting fixtures and architectural statement pieces, blending sustainable craftsmanship with biomorphic shapes.”
Bringing in a rich textural identity and natural warmth, these wooden fittings feel more authentic than your typical glass chandelier.
Heal’s
Skipper Pendant Light
Known for his unique treatment of the material, Tom Raffield’s light fittings bring a soft fluidity to the wooden finish.
7. Soft, Curving Forms
This branch-like design brings an intriguing sense of movement to this dining room.
(Image credit: Yoshihiro Makino. Design: Susannah Holmberg)
This desire for a more authentic, organic look isn’t only presenting itself through materials; it’s showing up in the shapes and forms used, too.
It’s something Michael Jackson, from luxury, bespoke lighting brand Northern Lights, noticed throughout Milan Design Week, noting, “A key direction from Milan is the shift away from rigid geometry towards softer architectural language -— curved, continuous forms that mirror movement in nature and bring a more human scale to interiors.”
Tying in with the desire for more human-centric designs, these softer visual forms feel more comforting to the eye, creating a more welcoming, relaxed atmosphere.
Westwing Collection
Large Ceiling Lamp Nebo
With curving, branch-like gold arms and glowing orbs, this gorgeous ceiling lamp blends curving forms with luxe materials.
Michael Jackson
Since 1987, Northern Lights have been dedicated to creating artisan-crafted, bespoke luxury lighting designs. Working with their in-house team of expert artisans and designers, Northern Lights have maintained their commitment to quality and craft for over 30 years now.
Now you know all the trends to look out for; all that’s left for you to do is get shopping. If you don’t know where to start, our list of the best places to shop for lighting will sort you right out. And for more updates on the latest trends, subscribe to our newsletter.
